Press Release
July 14, 2024

Tristan Leavitt, president of Empower Oversight, made the following statement after the assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump, and the information that has been revealed in the aftermath of the shooting. 

“Yesterday’s attempted assassination of former President Trump exposed obvious security failures. This issue should not become a partisan one, because it’s essential that the American people have faith that the Secret Service can fulfill its mission for all protectees regardless of party—with zero tolerance for failure.

“Unfortunately, the Secret Service has ignored recommended reforms despite past investigations into its failures, including a 2014 independent commission. I helped lead a bipartisan year-long congressional investigation in 2015 that produced a 200-page Committee report, but our recommendations were never properly implemented. Any after-action review should listen directly to the agents on the front lines, not just the leaders who have resisted meaningful reforms and have every reason to cover their own mistakes. All that matters is swiftly getting to the truth, and Empower Oversight stands ready to assist any whistleblowers in getting the truth to the proper authorities and the public.”

Empower Oversight has a long history of bipartisan work to help whistleblowers across federal law enforcement agencies, including the Secret Service. Anyone interested in seeking Empower Oversight’s assistance, should contact the organization through their website or their secure, encrypted ProtonMail account available here: https://empowr.us/contact/.